7 NFL Preseason DFS Targets: Week 1 (Friday)

Preseason daily fantasy football and regular-season DFS are very different games.

In preseason games, you aren't going to see the stat lines you would in the regular season, and you are hoping your players score a touchdown or at least just don't give you a goose egg (zero points).

The best thing you can do when playing preseason DFS is following news leading up to the lock of the slate from team(s) and beat reporters.

We have our first full slate of NFL games, and here are some of the players I'm targeting tonight.

Quarterbacks

Kyle Trask (TB)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to enter the 2023 season in disarray because of uncertainty around the quarterback position.

Kyle Trask, a former 2021 second-round pick, will have to showcase his talents with potentially the second- and third-team offensive units with Baker Mayfieldalready being named the starter for tonight's game.

Trask has been protecting the ball more than Mayfield in camp, so if he slings it at home versus the Pittsburgh Steelers combined with already being set to start next week's game versus the New York Jets, he can force head coach Todd Bowles hand to name him the Week 1 starter.

Mike White (MIA)

Does it need to be said? Tua Tagovailoa is not playing in this game tonight which leaves Mike White and Skylar Thompson a ton of playing time.

White has shown flashes both in the preseason and regular season during his time with the Jets. He embodies a little bit of a gunslinger mentality, which has led to 12 interceptions in only seven starts, but he can light up a defense when given the reps, and I'm excited to see what he's capable of with Mike McDaniel.

Running Backs

Demetric Felton (CLE)

Opportunity awaits Demetric Felton on Friday night with Jerome Ford suffering a hamstring injury earlier this week and already being ruled out for this game.

Felton shined in the Hall of Fame game last week, putting up 46 rushing yards with a touchdown and even a couple of catches to his name. Felton can carve out a role for himself on this roster to be the pass-catching back with Kareem Hunt no longer in the mix.

Chase Brown (CIN)

Speaking of running backs who should see the field a ton, enter rookie Chase Brown. For anyone who played college football DFS, you don't need me to tell you how much of a stud this kid was at Illinois.

There's a backup RB spot on the Bengals behind Joe Mixon, and with Trayveon Williams banged up I'm expecting Brown to get a decent amount of run tonight.

Wide Receivers

Deven Thompkins (TB)

Some rules with preseason DFS versus regular season DFS are not created equal, but one thing that remains the same is trying to stack offenses for points.

Thompkins doesn't have the prototypical build you would like to see, but this Bucs roster is in need of depth at the WR position with veterans Breshad Perriman and Julio Jones no longer on the team. Thompkins has been a camp darling making big plays (seemingly daily) and has a rapport in camp with Kyle Trask, so I like the idea of pairing these two together tonight.

Jalin Hyatt (NYG)

I'm planning to combat my shortfall exposure in dynasty leagues to Jalin Hyatt by loading up on him on tonight's slate.

The 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner is poised to become a household name this preseason. He's already earned his way to getting first-team offensive snaps by torching the Giants' second-string defense in practice.

The wide receiver depth chart is fairly crowded but lacks a true WR1. This could be the start for Hyatt to earn those honors.

Tight Ends

Luke Musgrave (GB)

Injuries at the tight end position to both Tucker Kraft and Josiah Deguara should give Luke Musgrave plenty of opportunities -- the main thing we want from a tough tight end position.

The second-round pick from Iowa is a beast coming in at 6'6" and 256 pounds. The Green Bay Packers let veterans Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis walk without signing any other players at the position. Musgrave has been having a great camp, and Friday is his chance to cement himself to playing meaningful snaps in a rookie.